Money never an issue for Revilla clan

Money is never an issue as far as former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr. is concerned, the talent manager of his son and namesake said Wednesday by way of explaining the P1-million monthly allowance he had reportedly been providing nine of his children by one woman.

The actor-turned-politician, who is said to have fathered 80 children, made sure that their inheritance would be in identical amounts shortly after he fell seriously ill in 2008, according to TV host Lolit Solis.

“Everything was accounted for in case something happens to him. This way, there will be no further claims. Everything has already been equally divided,” Solis, the talent manager of Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., a half-brother of the nine siblings, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

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But she would not say whether the inheritance had been distributed.

Revilla Sr., 84, suffered a stroke and underwent angioplasty in November 2008. He went through therapy to strengthen the right side of his body following the stroke. Doctors have since been closely monitoring his health.

Solis, however, expressed doubt that Revilla Sr. was actually giving his nine children by former actress Genelyn Magsaysay an allowance of P1 million a month.

“I don’t think it’s that big,” she said, although a source close to the family told the Inquirer that Revilla Sr. was sending all nine kids to pricey international schools.

“In fact, Ram would have gotten his certification on November 16. The course he took was supposed to prepare him for a career in politics,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said of Ramgen Bautista, 23, who was murdered on October 28.

‘Can afford it’

Asked to comment on the outrage currently being expressed in social networking sites over the issue of the P1-million monthly allowance, Solis defended Revilla Sr.: “He can very well afford it. He probably owns half of Cavite province. He owns two cemeteries and two coliseums built for cockfighting derbies. He is the key to the success of the Revilla clan. Masinop siya. He knew where to put his money in acquiring investment properties.”

Donated land

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The source, who is also a known show biz personality, concurred, saying: “[Revilla Sr.] graduated with a degree in business. He had foresight. He bought properties in Cavite when no one else thought of buying. Cavite was still troubled then. In fact, he owns the land where SM Bacoor is now located.”

The former senator recently donated five hectares of land in the town of Bacoor to its local government for the construction of a hospital there, the source said.

Revilla Sr. also owns the film outfit Imus Productions, which he put up in 1972 with his wife Azucena, now deceased, and which is managed by their daughter Andrea Bautista-Ynares.

“The capital used to put up this production house, which now produces the films of [Revilla Jr.], came from their father,” Solis said.

The source added that “the millions that film outfits earn today from producing are nothing compared to what [Revilla Sr.] was making in the 1970s.”

Revilla Sr. produced the movie “Nardong Putik: Kilabot ng Cavite.” He has also produced, written, directed and starred in such films as “Hulihin si Tiyagong Akyat,” “Pepeng Agimat” and “Kapitan Kulas.”

He was last seen in the fantasy film “Exodus: Tales from the Enchanted Kingdom” (2005).

Finance man

Revilla Sr. is “very accomplished,” the source said “Like his friend FPJ (the late actor Fernando Poe Jr.), he knew how to handle his finances.”

In 2009, Revilla Sr. sold the rights to air the TV adaptation of four of his films to ABS-CBN. The TV series was titled “Agimat: Mga Alamat ni Ramon Revilla.”

“He does not neglect his children,” Solis said. “He takes care of all of them. In fact, he recently had a house built for his children with Genelyn.”

Revilla Sr. became a senator in 1992 and held office until the end of his two terms in 2004.

Children’s names posted

Among his notable bills was an amendment to the Family Code, which was enacted in February 2004, allowing illegitimate children to use their father’s surname.

“A museum was built for him in Cavite. It houses all his trophies, newspaper clippings and a statue that Bong had especially made for him. Posted on one of the museum walls are the names of 46 of his children. I guess those are the only ones he could remember,” the source said.

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